


Her Gaze

by CatyCoffeebean



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-20
Updated: 2016-01-24
Packaged: 2018-05-15 03:24:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5769439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatyCoffeebean/pseuds/CatyCoffeebean
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marinette loved Adrien, but he didn't love her, because he had eyes for Ladybug only, though a twist of fate confuses the two of them more than they thought possible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Distractions

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly have no idea what to say here, or anything like that. :P

There was something about her gaze that looked familiar. Adrien couldn’t quite tell what it was. Marinette’s eyes were almost the same shade of heavenly blue as Ladybug’s, though while Ladybug’s stare was filled with confidence, Marinette’s was a little shyer. Once or twice, he thought he had seen similarities between Marinette and his lady, but had just brushed it aside as a trick of his mind, or wishful thinking. He knew that there was no chance that Ladybug would ever return his feelings. She had always seemed to think that his feelings for her were a mere joke, or that he was some kind of playboy, but that was far from the truth.

He was just lonely.

Adrien stood next to his window, gazing out at the indigo sky, which was dotted with sparkling stars. How could he feel so trapped in such a spacious house? It was likely that it was thanks to his father’s stifling attitude. Gabriel’s expectations for his son were absurd. “If it’s not one thing, it’s another,” Adrien grumbled. If he wasn’t at fencing, he was playing piano, or studying Chinese. It was a miracle he even managed to get in enough time to go on patrol and take care of his duties as Chat Noir. Plagg piped up from atop of Adrien’s computer monitor, surprising him.

“Thinking about Ladybug?” the kwami asked, biting into a large chunk of Camembert cheese. The blond’s nose turned up in disgust as he caught a whiff of the smell, but he nodded. “That seems to be a regular thing with you. Just tell her how you feel. You see her nearly every day.” Adrien huffed and then sat down on his bed, sprawling out, one hand resting on his stomach as he switched his gaze to the ceiling.

“I wish it was that simple, Plagg. But…Ladybug is just…” His voice trailed off and a smile made its way onto his face, albeit a mildly wistful one. “She’s so strong, so confident, and kind to everyone. And while I…I know she appreciates me as her partner, I just don’t think that she’s ever going to see me for me.” Adrien felt his stomach flop, and then bit his lip. It was so difficult to act freely when everyone had so many expectations for him. His father expected the most out of him, and he didn’t want to disappoint him. Marinette was nice enough—perhaps he should spend some more time with her to get his mind off of Ladybug.

It was only a moment after he had that thought that Adrien was hit with a wave of guilt. He didn’t want to _use_ Marinette. He wasn’t that kind of person. And she didn’t deserve to be manipulated. Something in him told him that Marinette must have some sort of feelings for him. Obviously there could be no other reason for why she always stuttered whenever she was trying to talk to him. Perhaps it was best to keep his affections one way. If Ladybug found out that he possibly had feelings for someone else after he had spent so much time calling her his lady and flirting with her, her opinion of him would likely be shattered.

The mere thought of his lady hating him made his heart sink. Plagg raised one small eyebrow quizzically, and then threw the last of the cheese in his mouth, chewing it contentedly. “I don’t understand you pathetic lovesick people. I mean, why have your heart broken when cheese never leaves you?” Adrien didn’t know why he bothered trying to complain to the kwami, though one part of him suspected that it was a result of needing to vent to somebody. Nobody was there to listen to him aside from Plagg, and Nino, but Plagg was the only one he could speak to about his feelings for Ladybug in depth.

“Plagg, there’s more to life than just cheese,” he grumbled, opening his notebook for class. It was covered in scribbles all addressed to Ladybug, varying poems, and even the occasional drawing, although Adrien was nowhere near a good artist. “I mean, have you seen her? She’s…” His lady was everything he wished he could be. She was able to be so free. Not to mention how adorable she was when she played coy. The memory of the kiss she had initiated was fresh in his mind; he would occasionally replay the memories when he needed a boost of happiness.

It didn’t matter to Adrien that she had only done it out of a sense of duty. He had to keep reminding himself that it was only to free him from the influence of Disloceur, nothing more. He ran his fingers through his hair, mussing it up, and it fell into his face. “Plagg, transform me.” Plagg let out a squawk of protest as he was sucked into the ring, and Adrien transformed into Chat Noir. Getting out of the house and going on patrol might be a good alternative.

_Maybe I’ll go visit Marinette. Maybe if I try hard enough, I can win her heart instead._ Though Marinette’s gaze was different from Ladybug’s, it was the same in some ways. Chat had the feeling that if he went to see Marinette, regardless of his attempts to push his affections for Ladybug out of his heart, her blue stare would bring him back down to earth. But perhaps, instead, he could push _Marinette_ ’s hair out of her eyes, wrap _her_ up in his arms, keep _her_ safe. Perhaps he could do the things with Marinette that he could never hope to do with Ladybug.

Shaking his head to clear it, Chat scaled the roofs, jumping from building to building. Whichever way the bakery was, it was far enough away that he would have adequate time to reflect on his situation. When had he fallen so deeply in love with Ladybug? When had she become his entire world? When did Chat Noir start to need her so badly? Distracted by his thoughts, he passed by the bakery completely, before having to turn around, his face flushing in embarrassment.

He looked down at her from the roof of the building across from the bakery, studying her. She was setting up a decorative rack of cupcakes in the window, likely helping her parents. Many of the lights in the background were dimmed, signaling that her mother and father had gone to bed for the night. Chat hesitated, his breath catching in his throat as the light hit her hair, highlighting the blackish-blue tint. It was almost as dark as the night he was hiding in. Like Ladybug’s.

No. No. He was here to see Marinette. Not think about Ladybug.

But beyond any of his control was the weather, which had inopportunely decided to open up the skies and dump rain on his head. Now instead of standing in the dry street, he was soaked, his cat ears drooping. Sometimes having these blasted things on top of his head had disadvantages, especially when it made him look like a kitten that had just been through a hellish bath. “Damn it all,” he cursed.

To his surprise, the bakery door was opened, and Marinette held a bag of trash in her hand. Startled, she looked at him, her eyes wide. “C-Chat Noir?”


	2. Knight in Shining Leather

Chat tried to play it off smoothly, but he was just as surprised as Marinette was. He hadn’t been expecting her to take notice of him, much less expected her to come outside and stare right at him with those impossibly blue eyes. “Good evening, Princess,” he greeted, a smirk making its way onto his face. He could be confident here; she was just Marinette. She could see him for who he really was. There was just something about her that was so accepting, something about her that made Chat want to see her more.

“What are you doing outside the bakery?” she asked, one hand resting on her hip. She was in more casual clothing, he noted, a hoodie covering whatever pajama top she was wearing. “I definitely wasn’t expecting to run into someone, much less you, at eleven o’clock at night.” The bag of trash still dangled from her hand, but Chat stepped forward and took it from her, eliciting a surprised response.

“Hey!” she protested. “I was just going to take care of that!” Her cheeks puffed up to display her frustration, and Chat Noir just couldn’t hold back the laugh that escaped him.

“Nonsense, Princess. The knight in shining armor can’t let the lady do the difficult and dirty work,” he answered, walking nonchalantly over to the garbage bin that was located at the side of the bakery. He could hear Marinette sigh, and he chuckled. Already, she was lightening his mood, and taking his mind off of the things that had been plaguing him.

He fell into a mock bow, before striding forward and taking her hand. “I was passing through the area and felt the overwhelming desire to see you, Princess.” Chat pressed a kiss to the back of her hand, and she rolled her eyes in protest. “I haven’t heard anything from Ladybug about patrol tonight—by now she would have shown up and we’d be out, but…” His voice took on a tone of sadness that surprised her.

Marinette wasn’t about to admit it, but her heart had jumped when his lips had touched the back of her hand. It was a gesture she was used to receiving as Ladybug, but it was a gesture that was strange to be receiving as her normal, civilian self. Why was Chat Noir causing her face to flush? Why was Chat Noir causing her heart to speed up so rapidly that she felt like it was going to burst out of her chest?

He was her trusted partner, and he always had her back. If he hadn’t been there, there would have been numerous occasions in which she could have been seriously hurt or even killed, and sometimes she took him for granted—but she was in love with Adrien. However, there _was_ the mere problem that he never seemed to even notice her existence, and she made a complete fool of herself when she was in front of him. “Okay, so really,” she questioned, “Why are you here? We’ve only met once before, and that was just because Ladybug told you to watch me.”

Chat’s blond brows furrowed, and those grassy green eyes of his filled with confusion. “I wanted to see you, Princess. It’s that simple.” Marinette had her doubts. Something must have happened with Chat, something that had him upset enough that he would come out here just to see her. There was something in the way that he was carrying himself tonight that was different, but she couldn’t quite place what it was.

Marinette looked past him at the sky, before huffing out a frustrated breath quietly. “Go up the side of the house and I’ll meet you on my terrace.”

His expression brightened, and she felt a wave of confusion flow through her. Was he really that pleased to be here with her? Why couldn’t she ever get Adrien to make that same face when he was around her? The handsome boy at school never smiled at her the way that Chat Noir was now. Without saying anything else to him, Marinette shut the door to the bakery, locking it behind her before she headed upstairs.

Shucking off her hoodie, Marinette opened her window, not at all surprised when she saw Chat perched on the area outside. “Okay, here I am. What exactly do you need?” It was cold outside, despite the heat of her room, and the urge to shut the window was great. She didn’t mean to sound harsh, but she was exhausted, and had a large quantity of homework that she hadn’t even started on. It was still raining as well, and the droplets were not at all inclined to cease their descent.

“Things have been…difficult for me as of late. Especially in regards to Ladybug. She won’t ever return my feelings, and I’ve come to accept that. Now that’s not to say that I’m using you as any sort of alternative, but you caught my attention. You interest me, Princess.” How twisted was this, that he was saying this to her? Marinette felt horrible about it, but she had sworn to herself and to him time and time again that she wanted to keep their identities a secret. Almost certainly, if he realized that she was Ladybug, their dynamics would probably change.

As Ladybug, she could be confident and strong. As Marinette, she was just awkward, shy, and tripped over her own feet. Marinette forced herself to pull away from Chat, who was still standing on the terrace in the rain. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him. “Don’t just stand out there. You’ll catch pneumonia.” What was she doing now, inviting him into her room, where all her photos of Adrien were tacked up onto the walls?

Chat Noir glanced around the room before shooting her a playful grin. “Nice place you’ve got here, Princess. Seems like a nice vantage point, nice view of the city,” he commented, and she cringed as she realized that he was soaking wet and was now dripping water onto her carpet. Seizing a towel from the back of her desk chair, she threw it at him.

“Dry yourself off, kitty, before you go on home.”

He caught it mid throw, and started toweling off his hair, which was falling into his face and making him resemble more of a sheepdog than a cat. After a few moments of this laborious process, he was drier than before, and he handed her back the towel gratefully, though a few stray droplets slid down his cheeks, making it look as though he was crying. “Hey, Princess?”

“Huh?” she asked, not fully paying attention as she folded up the towel. To her surprise, Chat had come farther into her room, closer to her, and was standing right behind her. “Good grief, Chat!”

He looked uncharacteristically serious as he spoke, and it left Marinette feeling chills running down her spine. Since when had he started to get under her skin this much? “I meant what I said. I want to be able to see you more. I want to be able to get to know you better. At least give me the chance.” There was a tone of begging to his words, with an underlying pain below it all. She supposed she could at least give him that much of a chance, right? Maybe, just maybe, Chat could help her forget Adrien, even if just for a few moments.

After all, they both were dealing with unrequited love.

“You know what, sure. Just please let me know when you’ll be standing out there by knocking on my window. I don’t want to die of a heart attack,” Marinette replied, her face flushing pink. How selfish was she? She was _using_ Chat. He didn’t know it, but she was effectively using him, and that made her feel all the more guilty. But as long as she didn’t tell him, perhaps they could keep up this façade.

Chat took her hand again, placing a lingering kiss to the back of it, before pulling away and giving her a wink. “Good night, Princess. Sleep well.” With that, he vanished into the night almost as suddenly as he had appeared, leaving Marinette standing in the middle of her room, staring after him.

_Had she been falling in love with Chat without knowing?_


	3. Jealousy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I do add Felix in here. This can be considered a slightly altered universe with him as Adrien's older brother.

Adrien reached his house in a matter of moments after having left Marinette’s, allowing his transformation to disappear. His heart was beating a million miles an hour, and he forced himself to do some deep breathing to calm down. Plagg glared at him, before plopping down on the window sill. “Adrien, you’re an idiot. Wasting all that time and stuff and trapping me in the Miraculous just so you can flirt with Marinette?” He didn’t look happy at all.

“That wasn’t it,” he protested, trying to keep his voice down. Felix was one room over, and he absolutely hated being bothered while he was studying. “I just…I can’t go over to her place as Adrien. It would be too out of place and she would probably have some sort of panic attack if I so much as looked at her.” He sighed. Adrien had his suspicions about Marinette, occasionally wondering if she was Ladybug, but he wasn’t sure how much stock to put into that theory.

Plagg rolled his eyes, and then curled up in the middle of Adrien’s pillow, staking his claim on it. “Go bother someone else for a bit.” However, he was confused by the kwami’s statement. Who was there to bother? His father would not take kindly to that, and the only other person here was Felix.

“Are you implying I should go talk to _Felix_?” Adrien clarified, one eyebrow raising in question. He knew that his brother had been the previous Chat Noir, though only for a short amount of time. Plagg had gotten so fed up with Felix’s attitude towards everything that he had come to Adrien and chosen him instead. “He’s not the nicest person, and you know that.” Despite Adrien’s remarks about Felix, he did look up to him. Plagg shrugged, not bothering to open his eyes.

“Go do it anyway. It’d be more productive than sitting here staring out the window, whining about your non-existent love life,” he added, striking a nerve inside of Adrien.

“Fine, whatever. I didn’t need your help anyway,” Adrien fumed quietly, shutting the door as he entered the hallway. However, he had shut it too loudly, and Felix opened his door, glaring at him, chemistry textbook in hand.

Adrien flinched as Felix stepped forward, his arms crossed over his chest. Though Adrien was tall for his age at five feet and eleven inches, Felix dwarfed him at almost six feet. “Didn’t I tell you that you have to be quiet when I’m studying in the evenings? The last thing I need is you gallivanting around the house making a lot of noise,” he reprimanded, sounding almost exactly like their father.

“I…I need to ask you a few questions. It’s not about school or work or anything like that, but it’s more of a personal matter than anything else.” This led to Felix’s brows furrowing, before he let out a disgusted snort. Adrien wasn’t fazed by this, and kept talking. “Please. Just…just a few moments. You need a break anyway.”

Felix let out a resigned sigh, but he shut his textbook, tucking it under his arm. “Fine. Make it quick.” He looked like he would rather be anywhere else than out in the hallway talking to his brother.

Adrien inhaled before continuing to speak. “I know that you were Chat Noir before.” It was a secret the two had between them. Adrien had agreed that he wouldn’t tell anyone about Felix if he didn’t tell anyone that Adrien was the current Chat Noir. “And…since you weren’t Chat for very long, we were probably paired with the same Ladybug. Was there ever any chance of her returning feelings…? Anything that I should know?”

Felix’s eyes widened marginally, but he replied with a simple, “Yes.” He set the chemistry book down on the ground before he lowered himself down to the area near the wall, drawing his knees to him absentmindedly. “Yes to us being paired with the same Ladybug. But as far as her returning your feelings goes, you would be hard pressed to have that happen. She stated numerous times to me that her heart only belongs to one person.”

Adrien’s heart fell, but he was drawn back in as a result of what Felix said next. “However, she did say that if the guy she had feelings for didn’t ever return the sentiment, she might give Chat Noir a chance. But honestly, if I were you, Adrien, I would give it up. Ladybug is too independent. She isn’t a damsel in distress that needs saving.” With that, he picked up his textbook again before heading towards his room. “Don’t ask me about Ladybug again; I don’t want to discuss her.”

 

 xxxxx

 

School had gone by in a flurry, though for Adrien, it was one of the longest days ever. He had been watching Marinette out of the corner of his eye every so often, and though she didn’t notice, he found himself becoming more and more conflicted. It was true that he loved Ladybug, but what Felix had said was true. His lady was far too independent and didn’t need anyone. While she appreciated him, and told him as such, she seemed to hate the idea of being protected as if she was breakable porcelain.

When Adrien was with her, all he wanted to do was step in the way and keep her safe from everything, though she would never let him. And in most of those cases, it was always Ladybug saving Chat Noir from his own stupidity, such as when he had been about to disappear as a result of Timebreaker.

There was a loud honking noise, and much to his chagrin, Adrien was greeted by the sight of his father’s limousine. Felix rolled down the window and simply shot his brother a cold stare. “Get in. Father wants to speak to us.” Adrien’s blood ran cold. He knew that there was a show they were going to have to model for that day, but those words were enough to terrify him.

Meanwhile, Marinette stood next to Alya and watched the limousine drive away. “I don’t understand what’s going on. Why did he have to leave so suddenly?” she asked, eliciting a sigh from Alya.

“Mr. Agreste is pretty strict, and by the looks of it, Adrien did something that ticked him off. Or something akin to that. Though I do think I remember hearing something about there being a show today,” Alya commented. Marinette, however, was more hung up on the fact that Adrien looked so distraught by what had been said to him. She would have to check up on him later, perhaps as Ladybug. It would be the easiest way to get close to him and actually feel confident about it.

“I’ll see you later, Alya,” Marinette mumbled, already turning to leave. “I have stuff to do.” With that, she dashed off in the direction the limo had headed, her bag bouncing at her side. Tikki stuck her head out of the purse and looked up at Marinette in confusion.

“What’s going on?” the kwami asked, obviously out of the loop. She also looked rather disheveled, having been jostled around while Marinette was jogging. “You look frantic.” Tikki’s guess was confirmed when Marinette looked down at her.

“We need to transform,” she replied, turning down a darkened alley for a few moments. Tikki sighed, but obeyed as Marinette wished, transforming her into Ladybug. With that, Ladybug scaled the roofs with her yo-yo, swinging from building to building, keeping her stare fixed on the limousine.

To her surprise, it parked outside the Agreste mansion, and not the large hall that was being reserved for Gabriel Agreste’s high class fashion show. Adrien was ushered out of the vehicle, followed by another tall blond boy, and then Gabriel himself. Adrien appeared to have visually wilted, his shoulders sunk, a dejected pace to his walk. Ladybug felt a stab of pity, but stayed hidden. She would wait until Adrien was inside before she would go talk to him.

The door slammed shut, but Ladybug ultimately figured she would wait five minutes or so. When the short amount of time had passed, she traveled to the mansion, keeping out of sight of the windows. It was only the afternoon, but it was such a large house that nobody would notice if she paid a short visit to Adrien, would they? After a few moments of endless searching, she found the room that was his, and her heartbeat sped up.

“I must be insane,” she whispered, though that didn’t stop her from tapping on the window. He jumped, and his green stare was wide. How could she be doing this? She was running away from Chat and couldn’t even bring herself to speak to Adrien as herself. He came over and opened the window, his face almost immediately going a dark shade of pink.

“M—Ladybug?” he stuttered, and Ladybug grinned at him, feeling more of a sense of bravado than before. What was the difference? Chat Noir was doing this sort of thing to her, so what would it matter if she came here to see Adrien? “W-why are you here?”

Ladybug held onto her yo-yo tightly, swinging forward slightly so her face was only a few inches away from his. “I saw that this handsome boy looked sad. I mean, come on. Adrien Agreste has too much of a wonderful face to look so down.” She poked the tip of his nose with her index finger and giggled when his face scrunched up involuntarily. “Besides, I’ve been interested in you, especially since you looked at me with such adoration in your eyes.”

She was referring to the time when he had been staring at her through the window of his limo, and they both knew it. It had set her heart ablaze, but also broken it. Marinette had never seen Adrien look at anyone like that, except for Ladybug. If he only had eyes for Ladybug, she would oblige and come to visit him. Even if she was then turning around and visiting Chat and letting him make her heart beat a million miles an hour. There was something different about Chat that made her feel more confident, but she also still wanted to be with Adrien. “You…realized that…?” Adrien’s face deepened in color, and Ladybug nodded.

“I have seen your face around, you know. You’re one of Paris’ most famous models. And how could Ladybug not be interested in someone who looks at her like she’s his world, handsome boy?” she teased, satisfied when he was grasping for words with his mouth open like some sort of dead fish.

“I…um…I’ve just…always been…fascinated by you, Ladybug.” He looked shy now, and she was reminded of herself. How had the tables been turned so quickly? “But…you probably shouldn’t be here too much longer. My father—“ There was a loud knock at his door, an insistent one, and Adrien became pale, his skin tone like that of a ghost.

“Oh, your father? I can come back later tonight, if you’d like,” she commented, already preparing to zoom off. The last thing that Ladybug needed was to be caught outside of Adrien’s room. “It’s no problem.”

But much to her shock, the person that barged in shortly thereafter was not Gabriel Agreste, but Felix Agreste.


	4. Stolen and Secret Kisses

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the last chapter I posted on my tumblr. If you guys want more, let me know, but as of right now it's kind of stagnant and I feel like it's not worth continuing.

Felix’s gaze immediately narrowed as he looked from Adrien to Ladybug. Whatever the case was, he didn’t appear to be all that happy to see her. Was there some sort of underlying hatred that he had? Adrien shuddered before looking at Ladybug. She looked like a deer in headlights, ready to bolt. “Will someone tell me why exactly Ladybug is outside your window?” he demanded harshly.

Adrien held up his hands in the universal gesture of attempting to calm a hostile person, but it only seemed to agitate Felix more. “Shouldn’t we let Ladybug explain that before we jump to conclusions?” Whatever the case was, whatever emotions Felix held for Ladybug, they obviously were not positive—he was staring at her as if he wanted to strangle her.

Ladybug tipped her chin up in response, as if daring him to make another comment. “What exactly is wrong with being curious about someone, Mr. Agreste?” she questioned coldly. That voice sent shivers down Adrien’s spine. Ladybug was normally so kind, and to hear that tone to her question was almost frightening. Felix shrugged nonchalantly, but something glimmered in his eyes that Adrien couldn’t quite place. Malice?

“Now if you don’t mind, run along. I was just speaking to your brother. You weren’t invited.” Ladybug waved her hand as if to dismiss him, and the frustration that Felix felt was almost tangible. Despite this, he slammed the door, and Adrien winced.

“I’m sorry about that, Ladybug. He—“ Adrien tried to apologize, but Ladybug simply shook her head, that gentle smile returning to her face.

“You don’t need to apologize for his shortcomings. It’s nothing you can control, handsome boy. I just thought I would check up on you, since you looked like your entire world was crumbling,” she replied, and was discouraged when he nodded.

“My father…last night his secretary, Natalie, she…she came in here to check on me, and…I had gone out to do some things. She naturally went and reported it to my father, and he gave me a major lecture. He said that if it happened again…” Adrien trailed off, not wanting to say anything else. There was no point in burdening Ladybug with this. And besides, it wasn’t like he could just turn around and say that he was Chat Noir and had gone off to go see Marinette.

Ladybug looked at him with sympathy, before leaning forward. “I don’t exactly know what to say, but if it’s any comfort, I wouldn’t mind visiting you more so you can talk about these things. It doesn’t seem like you have anyone else to talk to. And I’m curious about you, too, Adrien Agreste.” She was rewarded when his face quickly turned to a shade of pink she had never seen on anyone else.

“I—I’d like that a lot,” he stuttered, looking down at the floor shyly, shifting his weight from foot to foot. Ladybug winked at him, and waved.

“I have to be going. Patrol calls, and things will improve, handsome boy. Don’t worry too much.” With that, she zipped off, almost as if she had never been there, leaving Adrien in a state of shock.

 

Meanwhile, Felix was standing outside the door, still fuming, having listened to the entire conversation. “Ridiculous...now she’s kissing up to him?” Stomping down the hallway back to his room, Felix could barely hold in his anger. While he had initially only flirted with Ladybug on a whim, he had found himself thinking of her time and time again even after Plagg had chosen Adrien as the new Chat Noir.

Was he jealous?

Most definitely he was.

 

Hours had passed, and Marinette had barely been able to focus on her homework. The assigned reading for class had been a section from Romeo and Juliet, though the only thoughts that Marinette was having were of Adrien and Felix. Oh, God, Felix. She had never liked him, never liked his attitude towards her. He had told her his identity shortly before he had stopped being Chat, and she had nearly recoiled. Despite all of that, she still had no idea who Chat was now, and she wanted to keep it that way.

But Adrien— _Adrien_ …he had looked so troubled. So obviously there was something more bothering him than he let on. Marinette had always noticed that he was lonely, that he was sad, but she had never known what to do to help him. It was like he had shut the door to his heart and thrown away the key. That is, until she saw how he had looked at her.

It was one of the few times she had seen a genuine smile on his face. Slamming the book shut, Marinette smacked her face into her desk out of frustration. “What do I do, Tikki?” she asked the kwami, though she expected no sort of answer that would actually prove useful. Seeing Felix had dredged up memories she would rather forget, and seeing Adrien so depressed had left her confused.

Tikki plopped down on the top of Marinette’s copy of the classic play, tapping her chin. “You mean with Adrien?” Her question was answered when Marinette groaned loudly. Regardless of the seriousness in Marinette’s voice, the kwami giggled. “I mean, if I were you, I would keep visiting him. He seems to really like it, and you can offer him some comfort, however slight.”

Marinette poked her head out of the crack of her arm, before groaning again and smacking her head into the desk. “I don’t know what I should do, Tikki. On one hand, I feel more confident going to talk to Adrien as Ladybug, but…I also…think I have feelings for Chat. He just makes me feel like nobody else has.” Tikki tilted her head, and then gestured to the window.

“Speaking of which, Marinette…” There was a knocking sound as if to punctuate what Tikki was saying, and Marinette nearly jumped out of her seat. Turning around, she was greeted with the sight of Chat Noir standing out on her terrace, grinning cheekily at her.

She flushed bright pink, and hurried to throw a robe over her nightgown. Of course he just had to show up when she could hardly be called decent. Marinette’s hair was down, flowing over her shoulders, and it wasn’t exactly the kind of appearance she wanted Chat to be seeing. Regardless, when she had made herself more presentable by tying her bathrobe, she opened the window.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, though she grinned at him. He was sitting on the terrace, perched like a cat, blinking lazily. “I mean, it’s late, and I would have thought you would be at home or something.” It was then that she realized she was just rambling, and bit her lip in embarrassment.

“I came to see you, Princess. There’s something I need to ask you.” His voice dropped to a husky whisper, something that she hadn’t expected from him. Chat looked at her, waiting for her to invite him inside. She gestured aimlessly, and he took that as an indication. Stepping onto her floor, he walked forward slowly, never taking his gaze off of her face.

Chat’s stare darted down to her lips, and Marinette immediately felt self-conscious, though he continued talking. “What do you think of me?” he asked, stopping just a few inches away from her. “Be honest—if I were to do something…something crazy, would you be okay with it?” Marinette swallowed, wondering what he meant by this, though she already had some semblance of an idea.

“Something crazy being what, exactly?” she asked. Chat’s hand moved up to cup her cheek, but despite how sudden the action was, she didn’t pull away. “You’re going to have to be more specific than that, kitty.” His thumb traced circles on her cheek, and she felt her eyes closing slowly.

“Marinette,” he whispered, his forehead touching hers. “I want to kiss you.” However much he wanted to kiss her, though, Chat wasn’t going to push her. If she wanted him to back off, he would, but he was surprised when her lips brushed across his tentatively, nervously. It was like a spark had ignited in him, and Chat clung to her tightly, his arms wrapping around her waist.

Marinette was almost as surprised as he was that she had done this, but something about it just felt right. He was her partner, after all. He wanted to be with her as Marinette, not as Ladybug. It was beyond any of her comprehension—Chat had seen past the shy, clumsy exterior to the girl beneath the surface, and he didn’t care. She deepened the kiss marginally, feeling slightly more confident, before pulling back to breathe.

Chat, however, didn’t like the turn of events when she tried to pull away, and kissed her again, eliciting a gasp from her. Smirking, he nipped her bottom lip gently, one hand coming up to rest in her hair, brushing through the dark blue-black locks. Marinette murmured his name, overwhelmed by him, by his touch, by his kisses. Overcome by her emotions, Marinette looped her arms around his neck, tilting her head to kiss him at a more comfortable angle.

Not done with surprising her, Chat placed a kiss at the corner of her mouth before trailing them all over her cheeks, forehead, and eyelids. He was like a tidal wave, sweeping her off her feet, washing away all conscious thought. How was it that such a lovable dork could ignite such a flame in her? He dipped his head low, and then placed a kiss to the hollow of her throat, and she jumped.

This continued for many more minutes, numbing all of Marinette’s thoughts, all recollections of needing to study Shakespeare out the window, and the two headed back outside to the terrace, their lips barely leaving each other’s. _I love him. Oh, God. I love Chat._

His stare was unwavering, just like his loyalty. It was enough to make Marinette’s knees become weak. Despite all of her commitment to Adrien and all of her attempts to keep Chat Noir out of her heart, he had made his way in anyway.

“So you do love me then, Princess?” he asked, stepping forward slowly, backing her up against the side of the terrace. Though in most cases she would shove him away, now she found herself yearning for his closeness, for his touch.

Unable to form words, Marinette nodded. Chat smirked a little and lowered his head to her neck. It wasn’t too unlike earlier, where he had spent at least ten minutes straight placing kisses all over her face; this time when she felt a rush of heat, she realized what he was up to, and was terrified by the realization that there was going to be a large mark on her neck tomorrow.

“Chat–!”

“I’m just making sure everyone knows you’re all mine, Princess,” he crooned, ruffling her hair as he pulled away. Sure enough, there was now a hickey the size of a quarter on Marinette’s neck, and he hadn’t just stopped there. In fact, there were at least three others, and she clapped her hand against her neck in a panic, her face turning as red as a fire engine. “Sweet dreams, Marinette. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

After saying this, Chat disappeared out the window, heading back towards the Agreste mansion. Adrien let the transformation wear off when he was sure that nobody would see, his mind racing. There was definitely going to be an uproar when Marinette went into school tomorrow, but at this point, it didn’t matter.

Marinette loved him.


	5. Bond of Brothers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listening to sad music really didn't help my emotions while writing this.

After Chat Noir had left, Marinette fell backwards onto her bed, heart pounding. There was something just incredibly reckless in her actions. Here she was kissing her partner when she had a crush on Adrien, and in her room that was rather close to her parents’. She touched her neck, her fingers fluttering over the first of the marks. Tikki revealed herself, her small arms crossed over her chest. “Just what exactly was that, Marinette?” she asked.

Marinette shook her head skeptically, her fingers lacing through her hair in frustration. “I honestly don’t know, Tikki. I love Adrien, but…there’s something about Chat. He’s really confident, and despite all that, there’s pain in his eyes. I wish I could take it away. And he loves me for me, it seems like. I’m shy, clumsy, not at all like I am as Ladybug, and even though Chat loves Ladybug, he’s come to see me. He kissed me. Nobody’s ever kissed me like that.”

Tikki sighed. She knew full well about the secret Chat had; she had seen Plagg and even communicated with him in passing. Obviously being around Marinette all the time had limited what she was able to say. “Are you going to see him?” she asked. She wasn’t sure if Marinette was going as Ladybug, or if she was going to go as herself. She would be able to get places quicker and easier as Ladybug, but she was already digging herself into a deeper pit.

“Chat? Well…we have to patrol anyway, and I’ve been keeping him waiting for long enough. On top of all of that, I haven’t been focusing as much as I should be when we’re out. It’s just a matter of time before something happens and one of us gets hurt.” Her face went a light shade of pink. “And I just don’t want him to act reckless.” Marinette drummed her fingers on the comforter of her bed, before rolling over onto her stomach.

“So I suppose the answer is yes.” They didn’t have much of an option. Patrol had to be done, no matter how much Marinette wanted to put it off. “Tikki, transform me!” With that, Marinette donned the guise of Ladybug, and swung away, her thoughts darting all over the place. Hawk Moth had been much quieter as of late, and it was concerning. There hadn’t been any major enemies to fight, which was some sort of bad sign in and of itself.

_What is he up to?_ Ladybug wondered silently as she eventually reached where Chat Noir was perched, his large green eyes blinking inquisitively. “Evening, my lady,” he greeted, and Ladybug smiled—he still managed to warm her heart. “You’re a little later than normal. Did something happen?”

Her face immediately flushed under her mask, and Ladybug looked away from him hastily so he couldn’t tell how embarrassed she was. “Er…no. I just got…sidetracked, that’s all.” She waved a hand dismissively, and thankfully, Chat paid it no heed. “Any sign of any akuma, from what you’ve seen?” she inquired, and much to her chagrin, he nodded.

“This akuma is calling himself Chat Blanc. And I think I know what the issue is, but I’m going to go check it out again just to be sure.” Before Ladybug could say another thing, Chat Noir had already scampered off, and she groaned. It was going to be like trying to herd cats, she thought to herself as she chased after him. This was not what she needed to be dealing with right now.

 

Chat Noir was hot on the trail of Chat Blanc—and he knew full well who was behind the white mask. Felix had always been a quieter individual, and often, it was hard to tell what he was thinking. Obviously, he had been stewing some sort of a grudge, or hatred, and it had led to him getting akumatized by Hawk Moth. Adrien would know that gaze anywhere. It was one he had grown up in the shadow of, one he had envied for so long.

“ _Felix_!” he shouted, and Chat Blanc turned around, his normally greenish-blue eyes now an intimidating violet. “Get back here and fight like a man! Quit running away!” It was perhaps incredibly foolish for Chat Noir to bait him, but if it kept him occupied so that Ladybug could take care of the akuma, he would gladly lead his brother all over most of Paris.

“I’m not Felix,” Chat Blanc growled, launching himself at Chat Noir. “I’m Chat Blanc—and it’s _you_ I’m after, Noir. You took my place as Ladybug’s partner, and if it weren’t for you, I could have won her over. I had _everything_ when I was Chat Noir, but now you have it all.” Chat Noir dodged it, swallowing hoarsely. He had no idea that Felix had been harboring this much anger, let alone what he could do to stop it. He was also having some mild difficulties trying to locate just where the akuma actually was.

Reasoning with an akuma was pointless. They only fed off the anger they held, and Hawk Moth would direct them to do whatever he wanted, although in this case, the anger was directed at Adrien himself. A stab of pain hit his heart as he recalled happier memories from their childhood.

 

_The children had been homeschooled at the request of their father. Perhaps it was because Gabriel feared the influence that the outside world would have on his sons, or perhaps it was because he wanted his wife to teach them. Estelle was as radiant as the stars she had been named for, and for a time, Gabriel had been happy. He had still been more difficult to approach, but his wife had lit him up._

_“Mama!” Adrien exclaimed, running to his mother, waving around a paper that had some sort of scribble on it. He had presumably drawn a picture, and Estelle took the drawing from her son, and smiled brightly at him. “I drew a picture!” he chirped, practically bouncing up and down from excitement._

_“And what did you draw, Adrien?” she asked cheerfully, the silvery metal of the ring on her index finger glinting in the afternoon sun. “It looks like a cat, but I don’t know what it is exactly. You’ll have to tell Mama what it is.” Prompting Adrien to speak, she smiled to herself, amused. He was always such a joyful child when compared to Felix, which saddened her a little._

_“It’s a panther! They’re big and scary, but I think they’re really pretty cats. Don’t you, Mama?” he asked, and she nodded, picking him up._

_“We’ll have to put that on the fridge, won’t we? So we can show both Papa and Felix.” She planted a kiss on his forehead, and Adrien wound his chubby little arms around her neck. “But Papa has work and Felix is busy studying, so it won’t be until much later.” With that, she took him out of the kitchen and into her study. It was often quite dull just sitting in her office all by herself, so many times, she would bring Adrien with her. He was like sunshine, Estelle mused. He always had something kind to say, and unlike his father and his older brother, he smiled much more. But they were both her sons, and she loved them just the same._

 

Back then, Felix had been a little less uptight. He hadn’t smiled much at all in his lifetime, but before Estelle had disappeared, his smile had been more frequent.

However, after that, Felix had wilted, and had been only a mere shell of himself. Their mother’s sudden vanishing had damaged both boys, and Gabriel, but sometimes Adrien suspected that it had broken Felix the most. Estelle had been the only one in the boys’ lives to show them that there was more to a parent than just rigid rules. One single salty tear made its way down Chat Noir’s face, but he wiped it away.

He was going to take care of this once and for all. For his brother, for his mother, and for Ladybug.

Sure enough, Ladybug joined him a moment later after catching up to him, and she looked surprised by his expression. “Is everything all right, kitten?” she asked, and he simply nodded.

“Chat Blanc is Felix. I’ll fight him, and you keep an eye out for the akuma. But…the fighting part…well, that’s a little more personal,” he reasoned, and his lady simply nodded.

“Whatever you need, kitten. I’ll be here, like I always am.”

_Mama, I’ll show Felix he doesn’t need to be angry anymore._


End file.
